Akbar Ahmed
Writing
Biography
Akbar Ahmed is an Pakistani professor, author, filmmaker and former civil servant. For more than three decades, he was a civil servant in Pakistan, where his posts included Political Agent in the Tribal Areas (1978–1980), Commissioner in Balochistan (1984–1988), and Pakistan High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and Ireland (1999). During his acamedic career, he was a visiting professor many universities, including Princeton, Harvard and Cambridge. In 2001, he was appointed Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies at American University in Washington, DC. In 2006, presented and narrated The Glories of Islamic Art, a three-part British television series for Channel 5. He is the author of the book Journey into Islam: The Crisis of Globalization published by the Brookings Institution Press in 2007.
Known For
Biography of Mohammed Ali Jinnah, the founder of modern Pakistan is told through flashbacks as his soul tries to find eternal rest. The flashbacks start in 1947 as Jinnah pleads for a separate nation for the Muslim minority, infuriating Lord Mountbatten. Mountbatten then tries to enlist Gandhi & Nehru to persuade Jinnah to stop his efforts. Gandhi sides with Jinnah, which upsets Nehru. However, Jinnah turns down the offer to become prime minister and the film takes another slide back to 1916, which reveals all of the political implications that have occurred.
Jinnah
Professor Akbar Ahmed explore the architectural splendor of Islamic heritage and the profound connection between artistry and religious expression in Islam.
Glories of Islamic Art
The creator of Pakistan has long been a controversial figure. The film tries to unravel his personality with interviews and footage never before aired.